US11473411B2ActiveUtilityA1
Water treatment for increasing recovery of a resource from a reservoir
Est. expiryJan 7, 2039(~12.5 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
E21B 43/34C02F 2103/08C09K 8/584Y02A20/131E21B 43/20C02F 1/4693Y02A20/124C02F 2001/427C02F 1/441E21B 43/16
34
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
7
References
17
Claims
Abstract
A first stream of an aqueous solution flows through an upstream desalination or nanofiltration system. A second stream of the aqueous solution is mixed with the diluate output from the upstream desalination system or with the diluate or concentrate output from the upstream nanofiltration system with a flow ratio of the second stream of the aqueous solution to the feed stream of <0.47 or >0.63. A liquid composition flows into the concentrate channels of an electrically driven separation apparatus, while the feed stream flows into at least the diluate channels at a ratio of 0.3 to 0.81 to the flow of the liquid composition. An applied voltage selectively draws monovalent ions from the feed stream in the diluate channels through the monovalent-selective ion exchange membranes into the concentrate channels to produce a treated diluate having a sodium chloride ratio (SCR)<0.7.
Claims
exact text as granted — not AI-modifiedWhat is claimed is:
1. A method for enhancing recovery of hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon reservoir using an upstream desalination system or nanofiltration system with an outlet in fluid communication with an electrically driven separation apparatus that includes an anode, a cathode, and a plurality of anionic and cationic monovalent-selective ion exchange membranes alternating in a repeating sequence between the anode and the cathode, wherein alternating diluate channels and concentrate channels are defined in a repeating sequence between the cationic and anionic monovalent-selective ion exchange membranes, the method comprising:
flowing a first stream of an aqueous solution comprising monovalent ions and multi-valent ions dissolved in water through the upstream desalination system or nanofiltration system;
obtaining a concentrate output and a diluate output from the upstream desalination system or nanofiltration system, wherein the concentrate output has a higher concentration of dissolved ions than does the diluate output;
mixing a second stream of the aqueous solution with the diluate output from the upstream desalination system or with the diluate or concentrate output from the upstream nanofiltration system to produce a feed stream such that the ratio of flow of the second stream of the aqueous solution to that of the feed stream is less than 0.47 or greater than 0.63;
flowing a liquid composition into inputs of the concentrate channels;
flowing the feed stream into an input of at least the diluate channels while applying a voltage to the anode and to the cathode, wherein the feed stream flows into the diluate channels at a ratio of 0.3 to 0.81 to flow of the liquid composition flowing into the concentrate channels, and wherein the applied voltage selectively draws the monovalent ions from the feed stream in the diluate channels through the monovalent-selective ion exchange membranes into the concentrate channels while blocking or substantially inhibiting transport of the multi-valent ions from the feed stream through the monovalent-selective ion exchange membranes into the concentrate channels, to produce a treated diluate stream at an output of the diluate channel having a sodium chloride ratio (SCR) less than 0.7, wherein the monovalent-selective cation exchange membranes have a permselectivity for Na + versus Ca + ,
P
Na
+
-
Ca
2
+
=
J
Na
+
/
[
Na
+
]
J
Ca
2
+
/
[
Ca
2
+
]
>
1.95
,
where J refers to flux of ions across the monovalent-selective cation-exchange membrane; and
injecting the treated diluate stream into the hydrocarbon reservoir to extract hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon reservoir.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid composition comprises a third stream of the aqueous solution.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid composition flowing into the concentrate channels has a composition distinct from the aqueous solution.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the liquid composition flowing into the concentrate channels comprises produced water from oil extraction.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding at least one of a surfactant and a salt to the treated diluate stream to change the composition of the treated diluate stream to increase hydrocarbon recovery from the hydrocarbon reservoir.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising changing a temperature of the treated diluate stream before injecting the treated diluate stream into the hydrocarbon reservoir to increase hydrocarbon recovery from the hydrocarbon reservoir.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first stream of the aqueous solution flows through the upstream nanofiltration system, and wherein the concentrate output of the nanofiltration system is a retentate of the nanofiltration system, and wherein the diluate output of the nanofiltration system is a filtrate of the nanofiltration system.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the filtrate of the nanofiltration system is mixed with the second stream of the aqueous solution to produce the feed stream.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the retentate of the nanofiltration system is mixed with the second stream of the aqueous solution to produce the feed stream.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first stream of the aqueous solution flows through the upstream desalination system, and wherein the upstream desalination system comprises a reverse-osmosis system, wherein the concentrate output of the reverse-osmosis system is a retentate of the reverse-osmosis system, wherein the diluate output of the reverse-osmosis system is a permeate of the reverse-osmosis system, and wherein the permeate of the reverse-osmosis system is mixed with the second stream of the aqueous solution to produce the feed stream.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon extracted is oil, and wherein the hydrocarbon reservoir is a carbonate reservoir.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sodium chloride ratio of the treated diluate stream is less than 0.55.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed on an offshore oil platform.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sodium chloride ratio of the treated diluate stream is less than 0.45.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing a brine stream from an output of the concentrate channels into a crystallizer or evaporator to produce a salt output.
16. A method for enhancing extraction of a resource from a reservoir using an upstream desalination system or nanofiltration system with an outlet in fluid communication with an electrically driven separation apparatus that includes an anode, a cathode, and a plurality of anionic and cationic valency-selective ion exchange membranes alternating in a repeating sequence between the anode and the cathode, wherein alternating diluate channels and concentrate channels are defined in a repeating sequence between the cationic and anionic valency-selective ion exchange membranes, the method comprising:
flowing a first stream of an aqueous solution comprising ions different valences dissolved in water through the upstream desalination system or nanofiltration system;
obtaining a concentrate output and a diluate output from the upstream desalination system or nanofiltration system, wherein the concentrate output has a higher concentration of dissolved ions than does the diluate output
mixing a second stream of the aqueous solution with the diluate output from the upstream desalination system or with the diluate or concentrate output from the upstream nanofiltration system to produce a feed stream such that the ratio of flow of the second stream of the aqueous solution to that of the feed stream is less than 0.47 or greater than 0.63;
flowing a liquid composition into inputs of the concentrate channels;
flowing the feed stream into an input of at least the diluate channels while applying a voltage to the anode and to the cathode, wherein the feed stream flows into the diluate channels at a ratio of 0.3 to 0.81 to flow of the liquid composition flowing into the concentrate channels, and wherein the applied voltage selectively draws lower-valency ions from the feed stream in the diluate channels through the valency-selective ion exchange membranes into the concentrate channels while blocking or substantially inhibiting transport of higher-valency ions from the feed stream through the valency-selective ion exchange membranes into the concentrate channels, to produce a treated diluate stream at an output of the diluate channel having a sodium chloride ratio (SCR) less than 0.7, wherein the monovalent-selective cation exchange membranes have a permselectivity for Na + versus Ca + ,
P
Na
+
-
Ca
2
+
=
J
Na
+
/
[
Na
+
]
J
Ca
2
+
/
[
Ca
2
+
]
>
1.95
,
where J refers to flux of ions across the monovalent-selective cation-exchange membrane; and
injecting the treated diluate stream into the reservoir to extract the resource from the reservoir.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the resource comprises lithium.Cited by (0)
No later patents cite this yet.
References (0)
No backward citations on record.